---
title: Ga. Const. Art. V, Sec. II, Para. VII. Special sessions of the General Assembly.
collection: code
id: ga-const:art-v-sec-ii-para-vii
cite_as: Ga. Const. Art. V, Sec. II, Para. VII
canonical_url: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-ii-para-vii
md_url: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-ii-para-vii.md
text_url: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-ii-para-vii/text
source_url: https://www.legis.ga.gov/api/document/docs/default-source/joint-features-document-library/2ga-const-(v2)-2016-pdf.pdf?sfvrsn=f5de823e_0#page=972
date: 2016
status: active
corpus_version: 2025-supplement-89aa39ab3c68
license: CC0-1.0
publisher: Georgia Commons, an independent project of Georgia Civic Data. Not the State of Georgia. Not legal advice.
up: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/index.md
previous: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-ii-para-vi.md
next: https://georgiacommons.org/constitution/ga/art-v-sec-ii-para-viii.md
index: https://georgiacommons.org/code/index.md
version: the only printed version
in_force: true
current_through: Including Acts of the 2025 Regular Session of the General Assembly
heading_path: CONSTITUTION OF THE / EXECUTIVE BRANCH / DUTIES AND POWERS OF GOVERNOR
---

# Ga. Const. Art. V, Sec. II, Para. VII. Special sessions of the General Assembly.

A constitution provision shown as in force is in force as printed in the volume. A court decision can make a printed provision unenforceable without changing the volume, and the volume does not record that.

(a) The Governor may convene the General Assembly in special session by proclamation which may be amended by the Governor prior to the convening of the special session or amended by the Governor with the approval of three-fifths of the members of each house after the special session has convened; but no laws shall be enacted at any such special session except those which relate to the purposes stated in the proclamation or in any amendment thereto.

(b) The Governor shall convene the General Assembly in special session for all purposes whenever three-fifths of the members to which each house is entitled certify to the Governor in writing, with a copy to the Secretary of State, that in their opinion an emergency exists in the affairs of the state. The General Assembly may convene itself if, after receiving such certification, the Governor fails to do so within three days, excluding Sundays.

(c) Special sessions of the General Assembly shall be limited to a period of 40 days unless extended by three-fifths’ vote of each house and approved by the Governor or unless at the expiration of such period an impeachment trial of some officer of state government is pending, in which event the House shall adjourn and the Senate shall remain in session until such trial is completed.

## Cross References

Continuity of government during emergency, Ga. Const. 1983, Art. III, Sec. VI, Para. II, and §§ 38-3-52 and 38-3-53.

## 1976 Constitution.

Art. V, Sec. II, Para. III.

## Requirement That Subject of Sesto Convene General Assembly on Extraordinary Occasion Not Reviewable.

Bunger v. State, 146 Ga. 672, 92 S.E. 72 (1917).

## Standing to Attack Statute as Invalid Under Paragraph.

In an action for mandamus where the duty imposed upon the officer was merely subordinate and ministerial in character, and the act to be performed was not one that was actually prohibited by the Constitution, and no material personal or property right of the treasurer would be affected by requiring its performance according to the statute, an officer had no interest in defeating the statute, and therefore could not attack it as invalid under this paragraph. Mallet v. Harper, 182 Ga. 506, 185 S.E. 798 (1936) (see Ga. Const. 1983, Art. V, Sec. II, Para. VII).

## Constitutionality of Near Beer Act.

— The Near Beer Act of 1908 (Ga. L. 1908, p. 1112) related to the object stated in the proclamation. Carroll v. Wright, 131 Ga. 728, 63 S.E. 260 (1908).

Constitutionality of Liquor Store

## Act.

The General Assembly did not violate this paragraph in the passage of what is commonly known as the Liquor Store Act (Ga. L. 1937-38, Ex. Sess., p. 103, Art. 3, Ch. 4, T. 3). Shadrick v. Bledsoe, 186 Ga. 345, 198 S.E. 535 (1938) (see Ga. Const 1983, Art. V, Sec. II, Para. VII).

Constitutionality of Act making it duty of trial judge to fix sentence. — Act (Ga. L. 1937-38, Ex. Sess., p. 326, now repealed) making it the duty of the trial judge to fix the sentence in criminal cases, and giving the judge the power to place the defendant on probation, was related to the object stated in the Governor’s proclamation concerning a called session, as ‘‘Laws fixing and imposing sentences in criminal cases; and probation of persons convicted.’’ Williams v. MacFeeley, 186 Ga. 145, 197 S.E. 225 (1938).

## Meaning of ‘‘three-fifths of mem-Am. Jur. 2d.

38 Am. Jur. 2d, Governor, § 4 et seq. Am. Jur. 2d, States, Territories, and Dependencies, § 46.

## C.j.s.

81A C.J.S., States, §§ 111, 112.